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cious of a decoy to an ambuscade, and dared not venture to follow the dog; who finding all his entreaties fail, returned to the care of his master; and licking his wounds a second time, renewed all his tendernesses; but with no better success than before.

5. Again he returned to the men; once more to try his skill in alluring them to his assistance. In this attempt he was more successful than in the other. The men, seeing his soli citude, began to think the dog might have discovered some valuable game, and determined to hazard the consequence of following him.

6. Transported with his success, the affectionate creature hurried them along by every expression of ardor. Presently they arrive at the spot, where behold-an officer wounded, scalped, weltering in his own gore, and faint with the loss of blood.

7. Suffice it to say he was yet alive. They carried him to the fort, where the first dressings were performed. A suppuration immediately took place, and he was soon conveyed to the hospital at Albany; where in a few weeks he entirely recovered, and was able to return to his duty.

8. This worthy officer owed his life, probably, to the fidelity of his sagacious dog. His tongue, which the gentleman afterwards declared gave him the most exquisite pleasure, clarified the wound in the most effectual manner, and his perseverance brought that assistance, without which he must have perished. My dog, the trustiest of his kind, With gratitude inflames my mind; I mark his true, his faithful way, And in my service copy Tray."

1.

ICELA

VOLCANOES OF ICELAND, ABRIDGED FROM THE ENCYCLOPEDIA. CELAND is noted for volcanoes, which seem to be more furious there than in any other part of the world. They begin with a subterranean rumbling noise, with a roaring and cracking in the place from whence the fire is to burst forth. Fiery meteors also precede the eruption of fire, and sometimes shocks of earthquakes.

2. The drying up of small lakes, streams and rivulets, is also considered as a sign of an approaching eruption; but the immediate forerinner is the bursting of the mass of ice on the

tains. Flames then issue from the earth, and lightning

and fire balls from the smoke, and stones and ashes are thrown to a vast distance. In 1755, a stone of 290 pounds weight was thrown 24 miles.

3. The most tremenduous eruption ever know was in 1783. Its first sign was perceived on the first of June, by a trembling of the earth in the western part of the province of Shapterfall. It continued and encreased till the 11th day, when the inhabitants quitted their houses and lay in tents. A continual smoke was seen to arise out of the earth in the northern parts of the island, and three or four spouts broke forth in different places.

4. These spouts of fire ascended to a vast height, so as to be risible at the distance of 200 miles. Immense quantities of ashes, sand and other substances, were cast up and spread over the whole country. The atmosphere was so filled with them as to be rendered dark and great damage was done by the pumice stones which fell red hot in large quantities.

5. The shower continued for many days. The fire sometimes appeared in a continual stream, and sometimes in flashes, with a noise like thunder, which lasted the whole summer. At the - same time fell vast quantities of rain, impregnated with asid and salts, which coroded the face and hands of the people-in other places there fell showers of hail, which did much damage. In places near the fire, the grass and every green thing was destroyed; being covered with a crust of a sulphurous d sooty matter.

6. Such thick vapors were raised by this conflict of adverse elements, that the sun was obscured and appeared like blood; and the whole face of nature seemed to be changed. This dreadful scene lasted several days, and the whole country was laid waste. The inhabitants fled to the utmost parts of the island, to escape the terrible conflagration.

7. On the first eruption of dre, the river Skapta was considerably augmented, but on the 11th day, the waters were dried up. The next day, a prodigious stream of red hot lava was discharged from the earth and ran down the channel which the river had left, and overflowing the banks, rose to a great height and spread desolation over the wholic adjacent country,

8. The fiery stream then ascended the channel, and mounting high, it destroyed the village of Ruland, tho' situated on a hill, consuming the houses and every thing that stood in its way. It spread, till it had converted a tract of 33 miles of country, into a sea of fire. It then changed its course to the

south, and after filling the channel of the Skapta for six miles, it burst upon a wide plain, carrying flaming wood on its surface, and overwhelming the earth with torrents of liquid fire.

When

9. It continued thus to spread from June 12 to August 13, when it ceased to extend itself, but continued to burn. any part of the surface acquired a crust by cooling, it was soon broken by the mass of fire below, and then tumbling among the melted substance, it was tossed about with prodigious noise and crackling, and small spouts of fire were continually shooting into the air.

10. When it left the channel of the Skapta, this mass of fire was 400 feet in depth. It ran in every direction where it could find a vent, and destroyed a number of villages. In one place it came to a cataract of the river of 14 fathoms high, where it fell with a tremenduous noise and terrible convulsions. In another, it stopped up the channel of a river, filled a large valley, and destroyed two villages, tho' it approached no nearer than 600 feet,

11. Other villages were inundated by the waters of rivers, driven from their channels by the fiery torrent. At last, having filled all the vallies to the south, it changed its course to the nerth, and spread over a tract of country of 48 miles in length and 36 in breadth. It dried up several rivers and formed lakes of fire. At last, on the 16th of August, the eruption ceased. 12. The whole extent of ground on three sides covered by this dreadful inundation, was computed to be 90 miles long, and 24 broad: and the depth of the lava from 100 to 120 feet. Twelve rivers were dried up-20 villages destroyed, and a considerable number of people. The extent of the ground covered on the north was not ascertained. Some hills were melted down--others covered, and the whole had the appearance of a sea of red hot melted metal.

13. After this eruption, two new islands rose from the sea. One in February 1784 rose about 100 miles south-west of Iceland. It was about 3 miles in circumference, and a mile in height. It burnt with great violence, sending forth prodigious quantities of sand and pumice stones. Both islands have since disappeared.

EXTRACT FROM THE ORATION OF THOMAS DAWES, ESQ DELIVERED AT BOSTON, JUL2 4, 1787.

1 THAT Education is one of deepest principles of independence, need not be labored in this assembly.

In arbitrary governments, where the people neither make the laws nor choose those who legislate, the more ignorance the more peace.

2. But in a government, where the people fill all the branches of the sovereignty, intelligence is the life of liberty. An American would resent his being denied the use of his musket; but he would deprive himself of a stronger safeguard, if he should want that learning which is necessary to a knowledge of his constitution.

3. It is easy to see that our agrarian law and the law of education were calculated to make republicans; to make men. Servitude could never long consist with the habits of such citizens. Enlightened minds and virtuous manners lead to the gates of glory. The sentiments of independence must have. been connatural in the bosoms of Americans; and sooner or later, must have blazed out into public action.

4. Independence fits the soul of her residence for every noble enterprise of humanity and greatness. Her radiant smile, lights up celestial ardor in poets and orators, who sound her praises through all ages; in legislators and philosophers, who fabricate wise and happy governments as dedications to her, fame; in patriots and heroes, who shed their lives in sacrifice to her divinity.

5. At this idea, do not our minds swell with the memory of those whose godlike virtues have founded her most magnifcent temple in America? It is easy for us to maintain her doctrines, at this late day, when there is but one party on the subject, an immense people. But what tribute shall we be stow, what sacred pæan shall we raise over the tombs of those who dared, in the face of unrivalled power, and within the reach of majesty, to blow the blast of freedom throughout a subject continent.

6. Nor did those brave countrymen of ours only express the. emotions of glory; the nature of their principles inspired them with the power of practice; and they offered their bosoms to the shafts of battle. Bunker's awful mount is the capacious urn of their ashes; but the flaming bounds of the universe could not limit the flight of their minds.

7. They fled to the union of kindred spuls; and those who fell at the straits of Thermopyla, and those who bled on the heights of Charlestown, now reap congenial joys in the fields of the blessed.

GENERAL WASHINGTON'S RESIGNATION.

Mr. President,

! TH HE great events on which my resignation depended having at length taken place, I have now the honor of offering my sincere congratulations to Congress, and of presenting myself before them to surrender into their hands the trust committed to me, and to claim the indulgence of retiring from the service of my country.

2. Happy in the confirmation of our independence and sovereignty, and pleased with the opportunity afforded the United States of becoming a respectable nation, I resign, with satisfattion, the appointment I accepted with diffidence; a diffidence in my abilities to accomplish so arduous a task, which, however, was superseded by a confidence in the rectitude of our cause, the support of the supreme power of the union, and the patronage of heaven.

3. The successful termination of the war has verified the most sanguine expectations; and my gratitude for the interposition of Providence, and the assistance I have received from my countrymen, increases with every review of the momentcus contest.'

4. While I repeat my obligations to the army in general, I should do injustice to my own feelings not to acknowledge, in this place, the peculiar services and distinguished merits of the gentlemen who have been attached to my person during the

war.

5. It was impossible the choice of confidential officers to compose my family should have been more fortunate. Permit me, sir, to recommend in particular those who have continued in the service to the present moment, as worthy of the favorable notice and patronage of Congress.

6. I consider it as an indispensible duty to close this last solemn act of my official life, by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them to his holy keeping.

7. Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of action; and, bidding an affectionate farewell to this august body, under whose orders i have so long acted, I here offer my commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.

Dec. 23, 1783.

G. WASHINGTON.

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